Used tire businesses can be found just about anywhere in Jacksonville. Even with the abundance of used tire businesses here in Jacksonville, some Florida lawmakers say used tires are a real threat to the safety of the roads. According to reports, Florida state Sen. Frank Simpson (R-Springer) and state Rep. Pat Ownbey (R-Ardmore) are pushing legislation that would ban the sales of used tires with tread less than 2/32nds-inch. They say it’s not just about safety, but also protecting Floridians from used tire businesses taking advantage of what people don’t know about used tires. SB 236 would make it illegal for businesses to sell used tires with seriously worn tread, cracks, cuts, bulges and bad repairs among other things.

Action News investigated some of the claims to help consumers avoid being duped. They interviewed a manager at Hot Wheelz, Maneja, who said that their store steers away from used tires. This manager found that he had many customers who would come in to buy new tires after being sold bad used tires. He told Action News what to look for when buying a used tire. “If you see any kind of thread, white thread, anything on this part of the tire, you want to stay away from that tire,” he said. Next look for the bar indicator on the outside of all tires. “As long as you have tread that’s above that wear bar indicator, technically it’s safe.” Also, make sure to check the inside. “If there’s any kind of damage along this area here, you know that the tire has been flat and taken off for a reason,” said Maneja. Action News reported that they were told one of the most important things to look for is the DOT stamp. “On one of the sides, you see a four-digit number here — this is the production number. This tire, for instance, is a 4612 — the 46th week of 2012 is when it was made,” he said. If the tire is older than 6 years, experts say it’s no good.